Just Focus
by TheLyricalSymphony
Summary: Hinata has a hard time focusing on the task at hand and Tsukishima can't stop focusing on what ifs (Voltron AU) (Tsukihina Week 2016 Day 4 Sun and Winter Prompts: Imagination and Dreams and Nightmares)


In life or death situations Hinata could focus. In fact he often would hyper focus during said situations. Which when in those situations was fantastic. However when found outside of those situations it could be difficult to say the least. Sitting on the floor of a training room with a set of sensors on his head, trying to focus on forming his lion and thus forming Voltron with the other paladins was not a life or death situation. And thus his focus dwindled and his imagination took control.

"Hinata could you please focus on the task at hand. I sure the thoughts of Tsukishima as a ranger in Jurassic Park is hilarious to you but there's a time and a place for it."  
"Sorry Sawamura." The red head cleared his mind from the idea of the overly tall snarky blond being chased by dinosaurs. Which was then filled with thoughts of said dinosaurs transforming into aliens and-

"For god sake Shortie, focus or let someone else pilot your lion. Even Kageyama is doing better than you." Mention the devil and he shall speak.  
"I am focusing!"  
"If that's your 'focus' then I'm not surprised you failed the simulator back at the garrison."  
"Oh yes because you're just the pinnacle of focus."  
"At least I've never failed the simulator tests and I'm not the one failing the team right now." Hinata was about to snap back before the eldest of the paladins clearing his throat, gaining the attention of everyone present.

"If neither of you stop this right now then both of you can leave, got it?" Hinata shrank back from Sawamura's harsh tone whilst Tsukishima simply sat there, his eyes closed, his focus shifting back to his task.  
"How about you all take a break and come back to this with fresh cleared minds?" the silver haired Alterian said, taking his place by Sawamura, talking to him in hushed whispers, calming the other.

"No, I want to try again now, whilst we're all here and ready."  
"Are you sure Hinata?"  
"Yeah. Don't worry Sugawara, we'll get it right this time." And with that the five paladins settled again, sensors in place. All slowed their breathing and emptied their minds when told to. Sawamura, Yamaguchi and Kageyama were the first to form their lions, followed by Hinata and then Tsukishima, whose lion took a static form in front of him. He clenched his eyes shut tighter, trying to think of nothing but the green mecha. But something, or more like someone, was worming its way into places it shouldn't be, into memories he wanted to shut out.

"Keep out of my head Hinata. I mean it."  
"You wanted me to focus, I'm focusing."  
"Well focus on something other than trying to pry your way into my mind."  
"I'm not meaning to be in your mind. I mean, I'm in Kageyama's as well. By the way, who's Akiteru?" The blond continued to fight the presence of the red head, causing the lion hologram to glitch out completely. Groaning in frustration he took of his sensors, shooting a glare at the other. Sighing Sawamura removed his own sensors.

"We're not going anywhere right now. Let's leave it at this for today." Automatically Tsukishima got up, stalking out of the room.  
"What's his problem? I was doing what he wanted."  
"I'm sure he's just tired." Yamaguchi answered back, concerned over his friend. Tsukishima wasn't one to walk out of something like this. He always faced a test head on, ignoring everyone else when necessary. Still grumbling Hinata left with the others as they went to relax with before dinner.

Neither Hinata nor Tsukishima wanted to bunk together. In fact the very idea made their skin crawl. Yet here they both were, sharing the pokey bedroom together under Sawamura's command. He'd said it was so that they'd bond together but both thought it was some form of punishment for their behaviour earlier. The two ignored each other as best as they could, getting ready like they normally would, until the decision on beds arose.

"I want bottom bunk."  
"And why do you get to choose first Tsukishima. Maybe I wanted the bottom bunk."  
"Oh I'm sorry, I thought you'd want the top bunk so you'd get an idea of what it's like to be tall. My mistake." They squabbled for several minutes before deciding they were too tired to continue. The days' worth of training had been strenuous on both of them and neither wanted to stay up longer than needed. Claiming their bunk they quickly went to sleep without a word.

When Hinata work up to darkness he was confused. Normally he wouldn't wake until daylight flooded his room, especially after a day like he'd had. But he was awake. And Tsukishima was whining.  
"Tsukishima if you are jacking off I'm kicking your lanky ass out." No response. Confused he looked over the edge of bunk, slightly surprised that the other was still asleep, his face scrunched up, sweat clinging to his skin. Was he having a nightmare? Did Tsukishima have enough imagination to dream, let alone have nightmares? He watched for a while trying to decide what was best to do. He didn't like Tsukishima yet he couldn't let the other be trapped in his fears could he? He stayed where he was, waiting for the other to wake up by himself. Instead his whines got worse, accompanied by pained whispers harsh pants and constant shifting. Enough was enough. Climbing down from his bunk the elder of the two crawled into Tsukishima's bunk, wrapping his arms around him and gently whispering soft words, not wanting to make the situation worse. He continued for a while, the pants, whines and whimpers dissolving into nothing before the blond jolted awake, eyes blinking several times in confusions.

"What are you doing?"  
"You were having a nightmare."  
"So you thought you'd hug me?"  
"I didn't know what to do and this always works when my little sister has, well had, nightmares, so I'd thought hey why not. Next time I'll remember not to help." Unwinding his arms Hinata went to move away before being tugged back.  
"Do not tell anyone, got that?" And so they stayed like that until the younger had fully calmed down and moved away, a flush of embarrassment high on his cheeks.

"Do you, um, want to talk about it?"  
"Do you really want to listen?"  
"If it will help then yeah. You are my team mate, not matter how much of a butt you are." Tsukishima laid there in silence and Hinata was sure he wasn't going to respond. Which was fine, he didn't want the other to talk about things he wasn't comfortable talking about.

"Earlier you asked who Akiteru was. He was my brother. A pilot in the garrison. He got sent off on a mission and never came back. They told us the ship he'd been on had some form of malfunction and something had happened and the entire crew was dead. I didn't believe them though. He was such a good pilot and his entire team was talented so there was no way they wouldn't have been able to fix a malfunction before it became serious.  
"So I joined and tried to find any info I could, tried to uncover the truth. I found out there hadn't been a malfunction and had hope that he was alive somewhere. That I could save him. And then they found a pod." Tsukishima could stop the shudder that racked his body as unwanted memories flooded back. Of all the times he's spent with Akiteru, all the stories he'd heard. How excited the elder Tsukishima was to go on his first mission. How he'd felt when he was told that his brother, his idol, had supposedly died. The years he'd spent denying that, trying to find answers. The cold, lifeless body in the alien pod.

"I could have saved him. If only I'd joined sooner, if only I'd progressed faster, if only I'd known what I was meant to be looking for. Instead he's dead and I'm here expected to save the universe and my parents are home alone, probably thinking I'm dead too." He tried to ignore the tears burning his eyes but he could stop the few falling down his cheeks. A heavy silence blanketed the two.

"You know, it's not your fault. If anything it's the garrison's, for not trying to find him. Just like how they did the same to Sawamura when he got captured by the Galra. They probably aren't looking for us at all. But you know, you have us. Okay so Kageyama isn't the greatest and we don't get along great but you've got Yamaguchi, and Sawamura and both Sugawara and Princess Kiyoko. You're not alone.  
"And I don't think Akiteru would want you blaming yourself. There's nothing you could have done. So you should focus on the here and now and how many other people you have the chance to save." The taller of the two rolled over, giving the red head a tired yet dubious look. "I'm trying to cheer you up here, work with me a bit ok."

"You know, you're not so bad when you actually try."  
"And you're clearly sleep deprived so go to sleep."

"Do you think Sawamura's plan worked?" Yamaguchi asked, walking alongside Kageyama to their destination.  
"Either that or they both murdered each other somehow." Entering the room the two were surprised to see both Hinata and Tsukishima already there, both wearing their sensors, holographic lion mechas in front of them, working together.  
"You know, I think it actually worked."


End file.
